hubbard



M. G. HUBBARD.

Harvester Gearing.

Patented June 4. 1867..

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MOSES G. HUBBARD, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 65,386, dated June l, 186T; antei'lcfcd lllrn 26, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN RUNNING-GEAR FOB HARVESTERS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, MOSES G. HUBBARD, of the city of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Running-Gear of Harvesters; and do hereby declare and ascertain the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top view. I

Figure 2 is an end view; and

Figure 3 is a front view.

Figure 4 is a detached view of the bolt-plate, and intended to show the elongated holes through which the journal-box bolts pass. I

My improvements in the running-gear of harvesters relate principally to the method of shifting the gear and attaching it to the frame. It is of great importance that these machines should be so constructed that they may be easily thrown out of gear for transportation from one ficldto another, and that the parts necessary for that purpose should be so attached as to be permanent and durable, and not liable to get out of order.

The construction of my improvements may be described as follows, beginning with the handle A, which projects up through a plate, B, which is fastened to the top of the main frame; and this handle is so constructed as to turn on a centre, 0, (fig. 3,) and move along the cam D, (fig. 1,) so as to cause the said handle A to change its position in proportion to the pitch of the said cam D; and to the said handle I connect, in any' convenient way, the part of the gear to be moved or thrown out, which, in the drawings, is represented as a ratchet, E, Which ratchets into the ratchet end of pinion F; (but in another form of my machine the said handle A is connected with and moves the pinion itself.) In the form and arrangement shown in fig. 3 the rod forming the handle A is bent at a right angle, and the part C passes through the side sill of the main frame, and extends out beyond a sufiicient length to admit the coil spring G between, the frame and the head of the shifter-fork H. This fork extends down into a groove in the hub of the ratchet E, which slides loosely on the shaft I, along the feather K, (fig.

When the ratchet is out of gear the pinion F is loose on the shaft; but when the ratchet is in gear the pinion turns the ratchet, and the ratchet turns the shaft by means of the feather K. The coil spring G serves to keep the handle A in contact with the cam 1) while the machine is at work, and permits the back action of the ratchets while the machine is backing, or, in other words, permits the machine to back out of gear by the ratehets freely slipping by each other in their back action. It is found to be of great importance that while the ratchet E (or its equivalent) is sufficiently held into gear and out of gear, it is absolutely necessary that there should not be much of any pressure exerted upon it on account of the great wear that would result from any pressure on the moving parts. Some of the builders of my machines have used a coil spring on the shaftI, between the journal-box N and the hub of the ratchet E, to keep the ratchet in gear while the machine is goingahead, and to admit of its backing out of gear when the machine is being backed. In this arrangement the great pressure of the spring against the hub of the ratchet while it was revolving caused great wear, and soon got out of order and became useless; and in another form of my machine, wherein the part moved out of gear was revolved while out of gear, and a spring, as last described, pressed against it, the wear was equally fatal when the machine was moving out of gear, so that I have found, in either arrange ment, it is far better to attach the spring to or on the handle, and independent entirely of the shaft or revolving parts, as all of the objects of the spring are just as well attained in this way, and the difficulty above described is thereby avoided, the force or pressure of the spring being sustained by the vertical handle A and earn, the movement of said handle to the lower part of the cam merely allowing the clutch faces to mesh without allowing the pressure of the spring to be exerted thereon. In ordinary machinery tllcsc wearing surfaces will bear the pressure of the spring without serious inconvenience; but in reaping and mowing machines, which are used on dusty lands, these parts become filled with dust, and, being usually attended by persons unaccustomed to the care of machinery, are not properly oiled, and consequently very soon wear out. I have foundthat wooden frames are best for these machines; and in order to bolt these parts to a wooden frame it became necessary to provide against the bolts turning, and sinking the heads in the wood when the nuts-are being tightened. For

this purpose I use a bolt-plate, L, fig. 1, through which the bolts pass. These bolts are square under the head, like ordinary carriage-bolts; and the holes through the plates are made square, so that the bolts cannot turn while the nuts are being screwed on and tightened; and to meet thc variationsof the holes through the frame I make the holes through the bolt-plate of'an oblong form, assh'ovv'n in fig. 4; and if only the two sides of the hole touch the bolt of course it cannot turn. Heretofore, in the use or wooden frames, great difiiculty has been experienced in consequence of the constant and peculiarjar to which these machines are subject in being drawn over rough and rolling surfaces, causing the bolt-heads to sink into the wood, become loose, and turn therein, thereby seriously impairing the working of the machine. By the use of this bolt-plate" this difiiculty is entirely obviated. In the centre of this bolt-plate I loosely rivet an oil-hole cover, M, which keeps dust and dirt out of the journal-box.

Having thus fully described my improvement in the running-gear of harvesters, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The vertical handle A, in combination with the cam D, formed in the horizontal plate B, and with that port of the gear designed to be moved or shifted out of gear, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

I also claim. the employment of the bolt-plate L, constructed as described, fol-securing the bolts, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

I also claim the location and arrangement of the spring G upon the shifting-lever and in relation to the shifting-gear, substantially as and for the purposes described.

M. G. HUBBARD.

Witnesses:

O. J. LYsrnu, PETER, CooLnY. 

